Completing tutorials can teach you new skills but won’t prepare you for professional work.
Image Source: 3D Tutorials
We’ve talked before here on the blog about the vast resources available to new 3D artists on the web. If you want to learn how to do something in May, 3DS Max, or any other animation/modeling software, chances are good you can type a query into Google and find a guide to getting it done. It’s easier than ever to learn 3D modeling and animation from the comfort of your own home through free tutorials and community resources.
However, there are a few big drawbacks to tutorials that cause them to be less than ideal for carving out a path as a professional 3D artist. Tutorials have their place, but should not be considered an alternative to an actual VFX education.
Here’s why:
You’re Never Challenged
Completing a tutorial isn’t much of a challenge. You follow the steps as they’re presented, apply the provided resources, and end up with a result close to the final image advertised in the tutorial. This is great for learning your way around an application but doesn’t really force you to figure things out or to solve problems. It’s the same as following a recipe — you don’t need to engage your creativity to go down a page and copy each of its steps.
You Never Learn the “Why”
One of the great difficulties in working in VFX is that every new job is rife with things that need to be invented. You’re often creating technologies and ideas from scratch. To do this successfully, you don’t just need to know how to perform tasks in your animation software, but why those tasks are the right approach to take. Tutorials show you the “how,” but they don’t always do a great job of explaining the “why.” You cannot develop a professional level of mastery of software through tutorials alone.
Habits are Personal
In most cases, tutorials are authored by individual community members. And while these community members may indeed be talented artists, they’re also putting their habits into the tutorials you view. Some of these habits are good and some are bad; following another artist’s habits may prevent you from developing your own. Additionally, it’s possible that habits you form from tutorials may cause problems when you enter a real production pipeline.
Working Alone
It is very rare in the VFX industry to work alone. 3D artists work in teams, big and small, to complete projects for film, television, and video games. Working on tutorials by yourself doesn’t help you build the vital communication skills necessary for finding success in the VFX field and gives you no experience on splitting assets, coordinating teams, and building one thing with the help of many. There is no substitute for working with a real team on a real project.
Overall, tutorials are an excellent and incredible resource for curious 3D artists looking to take their first steps into the world of animation and modeling. However, they are not enough to carry you into the world of professional VFX, and should be considered merely one element of a complete 3D education. Attending a professional VFX school is the only way to earn the experiences you’ll need to compete successfully in the high-end effects industry.
Are you trying to land your dream job as a visual effects artist? The Gnomon School blog will provide you with some of the best current tips about the visual effects industry. We can give you a competitive edge in the job market, whether by showing you how to attract more viewers to your online portfolio, teaching you how to ace interviews with art studios, or by pointing out new job opportunities in the field. You’ve got nothing to lose… and a great job to gain! Contact us to get started!
The post Improving as a 3D Artist: The Problem with Tutorials appeared first on Gnomon School Blog.
